Everybody remembers watching cartoons when they were younger. You would get home from school and stick on the television and take in the latest stories and action that comes with your chosen show. Whether it be Tom & Jerry or SpongeBob Square Pants; everybody had their favourite. That day-to-day activity remains even now in most adults, with people getting home from work and sticking on cartoons; but this time, they aren’t all child-friendly.
This has been the same for the last ten years now, but the popularisation of Rick and Morty has taken these shows to new levels, and now they are as viewed as sitcoms. But, which of these have been the trailblazers for this new genre of comedy?
The Simpsons
It has been over 25 years since the first episode of the yellow-faced family the Simpsons hit the small screen. Since then they have become a mainstay on the box and has attracted astronomical viewers and money into their brand. Even in this modern era it has evolved, and it has 69 million Facebook fans; that’s 20 million more than Disney, and only Coca Cola has more. Their sustained success has been unique. The show’s popularity knows no boundaries; even sites like yourmobilecasinos.com have a picture of Bart adorned on their home page as a blackjack dealer.
The animation which was created by Matt Groening has told the working-class stories of Marg and Homer as they raise their kids- Bart, Lisa and Maggie. There have been recurring elements in the show that has tested the test of time; including Homer’s ‘D’oh’ and the shows ability to correctly predict future events. The most famous of these cases came in an episode aired in 2000 that accurately predicted that Donald Trump would become President of the USA 16 years later. The show continues with its unwavering popularity, and has recently been renewed for 31st and 32nd season; with the latter of which featuring the 700th episode of the show.
Family Guy
Unlike the Simpsons, the Griffin family certainly isn’t meant for a child audience. The show which first broadcast in 1999, before being scrapped by Fox on two separate occasions, once in 2000 and the other in 2002, before being eventually recommissioned by the network in 2004. That is something that the show creator Seth MacFarlane always states as a big positive in the success of the show.
MacFarlane voices the three most loved characters in Peter Griffin, Stewie and Brian, while Mia Kunis voices Meg, Alex Borstein voices Lois Griffin, and Seth Green plays Chris. The show centres around the family, and often involves time travelling elements which has seen main characters come face-to-face with the likes of Adolf Hitler, God and Jesus Christ. There has been an array of stars involved in the show; including Adam West, Patrick Stewart and Tom Brady. The show has featured a spin-off series, as well as a special joint episode with The Simpsons. In February it was announced that Fox had renewed the show for its 18th season.
South Park
Following the same lines as Family Guy, South Park also receives its fair share of criticism for blurring the lines of what should be acceptable on television. However, it also has cult status among fans. The show features around the lives of Stan Marsh, Eric Cartman, Kenny McCormick and Kyle Broflovski and their adventures around their local Colorado town. Much like Family Guy, it has made its name by poking fun of celebrities; most recently Donald Trump.
The show made its debut in 1997, and since then has broadcast 297 episodes. The ratings have always sustained at a high level, but over recent years they have dropped somewhat. However, it remains the most popular show on the Comedy Central network. Since 2000, each episode has been written one week before its release; which means that the references are relevant to the audiences. It was announced that the shows 23rd season will continue throughout 2019, after initially premiering in September 2018.
